Popular West Seattle bus line and others to get upgrade

King Co. Metro plans to provide faster, more frequent service on certain lines, including route 120, which runs from downtown, through West Seattle, to Burien.

Author:
Ted Land

Published:
5:36 PM PST November 15, 2017

Updated:
7:02 PM PST November 15, 2017

There are some important changes in the works for popular bus routes throughout the Seattle region. King County Metro plans to provide faster, more frequent service on certain lines, including route 120, which runs from downtown through West Seattle to Burien.

Metro is working to turn the 120 bus into the Rapid Ride H line, an upgrade which provides buses at least every 10 minutes during the busiest travel hours and every 15 minutes during off-peak times.

You pay before you get on the bus, and Metro says the buses, which typically have fewer stops than other lines, provide more punctual service.

Some riders say the 120 needs improvement.

“Frequently, you get two buses in a row because one of them is slowed down coming from Seattle,” said Steven Simonsen, who uses the 120 to get to the doctor.

“It would be nicer if they did have it more frequent,” said Quentin Hamilton, who uses the 120 to get to work and often has to wait 30 minutes to catch a ride home at night.

The H line is one of seven new Rapid Ride lines planned for the coming years, which would snake all over the metro area and change how thousands of riders get around.

So what does this mean for drivers? There will be construction along the way as Metro upgrades bus stops. And expect more bus-only lanes on busy roads.

The new Rapid Ride H line is scheduled to open in 2020. Metro is seeking feedback from riders on the planned changes to the 120 line. You can submit those here.